New ERP software affects businesses in so many positive ways, transforming companies, relieving staff of laborious manual processing and giving valuable new insights into performance. But an often-quoted figure is that 50% of ERP implementations fail. Of course, you want to ensure that your company is in the other half of those figures – the successful ones. Sadly, it’s not just as easy as buying new ERP software and hoping that all will be well. You need to invest in the software implementation process too, so that you put in place the best possible system you can. Otherwise, it might end up making work harder for your employees rather than easier. Whether you are just researching the market and thinking about a future purchase, or you’re already in the planning stages, here’s how you can get the most from your new ERP software. Carefully Consider the Options Choosing the right ERP software at the outset is paramount. Choosing between the different options may seem hard, but this is a very important first step and it will remain key to the success of the rest of your project. If you don’t undertake this process judiciously and thoroughly, you might discover further down the line that the software you chose does not quite have the capabilities you thought it did. Or it may not integrate in future with certain other systems you had planned to implement. When you carefully consider the types of ERP software available, you will ensure you get a true cloud system if it’s important that your staff work securely from home, or that you choose an ERP that is proven to be able to grow with you, or that you choose a software partner with the right experience. Requirements Design and Planning To make sure that the system completely fits your needs, you must include the right people in the consultation process. An ERP will often be used by every department in a company, so you want to be sure that all stakeholders have a chance to give their input into designing the finer points and features of the ERP software. You should also consider going back to the basics here. Using an experienced consultancy to evaluate and review your business processes can help. As companies grow, they often overlook the opportunities to adjust and improve their internal processes. The danger is that they continue to use deficient workflows, simply because it suits how their existing ERP software works. But they could be doing things more efficiently with tweaks to the flawed processes. Configuration and Implementation It is important that the ERP implementation goes smoothly. Considerations include understanding the challenges of ERP data migration and quality control, managing changes within the business and project managing the deployment so that it meets budgets and agreed timescales. Unexpected hitches can derail any ERP project so planning is vital to success. One of the main tests for a company comes if not enough time has been allocated for the new ERP software implementation. Companies consistently underestimate how long the process takes and a good software partner will advise you to build in sufficient contingency time in case of unforeseen issues. Training Once your new ERP is deployed, there are still opportunities to maximise how your company uses it. And here, providing training is what can give your users the edge, ensuring they learn best practices for using and customising the system. Ensure your vendor offers training and that their staff have expert knowledge on the system. If your staff can quickly become comfortable using the new ERP software, then this will speed up how soon they will be able to use it in a way that brings the business greater productivity or clearer insights. Support Allocating adequate resource to ongoing technical support after your ERP software has been deployed will ensure it continues to serve you well for many years. If you can’t continue to take advantage of the full capabilities of your new software, then you will have wasted the initial investment. ERP software such as NetSuite is regularly automatically updated, so it is always maintained to give the highest level of functionality. But when new features are introduced, this may change how your company could use them, requiring some additional configuration or development to tailor new functionality specifically for your business. Users may also flag up additional needs that had not been anticipated, perhaps requiring some technical input or support. If you would like some assistance in getting the most from your ERP software, our team of certified ERP consultants can help. company. Book an appointment now or contact us. to arrange ’s a free business consultation or a tailored quote. We can help you to audit your current system, assess your business needs and help you choose a best of breed ERP system to do business now.

How to Get the Most from your ERP Software

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New ERP software affects businesses in so many positive ways, transforming companies, relieving staff of laborious manual processing and giving valuable new insights into performance. But an often-quoted figure is that 50% of ERP implementations fail. Of course, you want to ensure that your company is in the other half of those figures – the …

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